Good Friday and Easter Monday aren’t statutory holidays everywhere in Canada.
But some workers get both days off for an even longer weekend!
This year, Good Friday is on April 3 and Easter Monday is on April 6.
Even though both Good Friday and Easter Monday are federal stat holidays in Canada, it doesn’t mean everyone in the country gets those days off work.
That’s because federal stat holidays are for people who work in the federal public service, Crown corporations and federally regulated industries.
Federal employees get April 3 and April 6 off even if those days aren’t holidays in the province or territory where they work.
Good Friday is a stat holiday in most of Canada, including B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I., Newfoundland & Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Quebec is the exception because workers in that province get Good Friday or Easter Monday off, and it’s decided by the employer. Employers in the province aren’t required to give both days off.
That means you could be working on Friday and off on Monday, or off on Friday and working on Monday, depending on what your employer chooses.
Easter Monday is an “optional general holiday” in Alberta. So, employers can choose to recognize Easter Monday as an additional holiday, and employment standards rules related to holiday pay apply.
While Easter Monday isn’t a public holiday in Ontario, some employers recognize the day as a holiday for employees.
In Nova Scotia, employers may agree to provide their employees with additional paid holidays like Easter Monday, but it’s not required.
Easter Monday isn’t a stat holiday in Yukon, but employees can get a paid holiday if their employer includes it as part of the employment contract.
B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, P.E.I., Newfoundland & Labrador, Northwest Territories and Nunavut don’t have Easter Monday listed as a stat or optional holiday, so check with your employer to see if you’ll be working that day or have it off.
This article’s cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
